


Waiting for You

by ravenselle



Category: JUDGE EYES: 死神の遺言 | Judgment
Genre: Alcohol, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Mentions of anagura aka the hole, Pining, Some Spoilers, takes place before the events of the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:35:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenselle/pseuds/ravenselle
Summary: The owner interrupted Kaito’s attempt at brushing the question off, setting two steaming bowls of ramen in front of them. Before Kaito could even appreciate how tasty the dish looked, Yagami had already snatched his egg, popping it into his mouth with a shit-eating grin when Kaito glared.“Why don’t you just ask for another?” Kaito groused as he dug in.“Because,” Yagami said, pointing a chopstick at Kaito. “Yours taste better.”Kaito rolled his eyes but focused on savoring his meal. No matter what kind of stressful week he had, these nights with Yagami always soothed his soul. He could forget all the fingers he’d broken, the fear in people’s eyes, the… other… things.
Relationships: Kaito Masaharu/Yagami Takayuki
Comments: 8
Kudos: 66





	Waiting for You

Another long week. Another long day of trawling through grimy alleyways to climb a dozen flights to find the guy owing money is conveniently out of town. But it was Friday night and time to forget about all that.

“You look like shit, Kaito-san,” Yagami said, his hands dug in his jacket as they met outside the Matsagune family office. 

“You don’t look too much better, Ta-bo,” Kaito said, snorting at the stains down his shirt. “Forget to do laundry again?”

“You love me anyway,” Yagami said. He grinned that flawless grin and Kaito’s heart skipped a beat.

“Whatever,” Kaito said. 

The two started heading toward their usual weekend haunts. It was starting to rain, making Kaito curse when fat raindrops hit the top of his head. He was about to suggest they try somewhere new for the night, but Yagami opened an umbrella with a surprisingly loud noise and held it over Kaito’s head, standing closer to him than before so they both could rest under its safety. He smelled like cinnamon and stale cigarette smoke, but Kaito found it intoxicating as streams of rain pattered against their umbrella. He’d never smelled cinnamon on Yagami before, so it must’ve been new. He wondered if he’d found a new girlfriend, or if he’d finally decided to try and work it out with Mafuyu again. 

“Man, are you even listening?” Yagami asked, amused as they arrived in front of their favorite ramen joint. 

“Probably something about not being able to pay rent again,” Kaito said, nodding when Yagami opened the door for them both. 

The owner welcomed them warmly and began dishing up their usuals while Yagami and Kaito situated themselves in their usual booth. Kaito rested his chin against his hand and stared at the raindrops streaming down the dirty window, watching businessmen and scantily-clad women rush to their destinations. The feeling of him grinding his teeth didn’t even register, it was only the grating sound that let him know he was grinding his jaw so hard it was audible. 

“Everything okay?” Yagami asked.

The owner interrupted Kaito’s attempt at brushing the question off, setting two steaming bowls of ramen in front of them. Before Kaito could even appreciate how tasty the dish looked, Yagami had already snatched his egg, popping it into his mouth with a shit-eating grin when Kaito glared.

“Why don’t you just ask for another?” Kaito groused as he dug in.

“Because,” Yagami said, pointing a chopstick at Kaito. “Yours taste better.” 

Kaito rolled his eyes but focused on savoring his meal. No matter what kind of stressful week he had, these nights with Yagami always soothed his soul. He could forget all the fingers he’d broken, the fear in people’s eyes, the… other… things. 

“I don’t wanna be cheesy or anything,” Yagami said, slurping his noodles and speaking with his mouth full. “But is everything okay? You don’t seem to be all here tonight.”

Kaito worried at his lip, staring into his soup. “It’s just been a long week, y’know?”

Yagami shrugged, going back to digging into his food. 

“Hamura… he took us somewhere awful this week.”

“Huh?”

“The hole. He took us to the hole. Told us the yakuza’s filled with a bunch of pussies these days since somebody filled the place with quicklime years ago. Told us this is what happens with traitors.”

“Jesus. I’ve only heard horror stories,” Yagami said, his brows knit together as Kaito scratched at a chip in the table. 

“He was just trying to show off,” Kaito said. “None of us are even high enough on the ladder to warrant an extreme punishment like that, but… he told us a bunch of stories, showed us pictures. He was grinning the whole time.”

“Kaito-san, I’m sorry,” Yagami said. He cupped his hand over Kaito’s, stopping him from continuing his picking.

The touch was electric, but Kaito pulled away, clearing his throat. “Saw some messed up stuff is all. Kinda shaken up still, I guess.”

Yagami gave him a small smile. “You could leave, you know. Matsagune would support you no matter what you do.” 

Kaito huffed, jittery having admitted something so close to his heart. He could always be real with Yagami, but being  _ real  _ real was… different. Something for special occasions, something that didn’t often happen. 

“C’mon man, I could use a drink,” Kaito said, thanking the owner with a nod before leaving the warm restaurant into the rainy streets. 

Yagami jogged after him with the umbrella, complaining at him about getting drenched, making him smell like a wet dog. 

“I got another case today,” Yagami said, running his fingers through his unruly mop of hair. 

“Oh yeah? Surprised that whole detective thing hasn’t flopped yet,” Kaito said. But he was happy. This was something Yagami wanted, no,  _ needed _ after the case. Sometimes he still looked at Yagami’s lapel and swore he saw a phantom pin declaring him a lawyer. 

“Mm. Some middle-aged woman, real pretty,” Yagami said, stretching his arm out to keep the umbrella over Kaito’s head as he stepped around a puddle. 

“You gonna use your business to pick up chicks?” Kaito asked, chuckling. 

Even though his head was facing straight ahead, Kaito could practically hear Yagami’s eyeroll. 

“No, dumbass,” Yagami said. Someone barreling down the street shoved into him, knocking him closer to Kaito. He turned and swore at the running figure, but they were already long gone. 

Kaito huffed, outwardly expressing annoyance at the physical contact, knowing it’s what he was supposed to do. He’s not supposed to like bumping shoulders with another man, not supposed to enjoy his cologne, the way his smile quirks when he says something funny…

“This town’s full of inconsiderate pricks,” Yagami said, almost snarling. “Anyway. I thought it was gonna be a regular infidelity case, real easy open and shut thing, yeah?”

Kaito held open the bar door, nodding as Yagami passed by. He’d heard his fair share of infidelity cases that Yagami had easily solved.

“She wanted me to find out whether her husband hired a hitman for her,” Yagami said incredulously, sliding onto the barstool next to Kaito.

The bartender brought their usual drinks, nodding politely at them both.

“A hitman? Husband wanted insurance money or something?”

Yagami grinned as he took a long swig. “No, even better. She said he was jealous of her corporate success, so he was going to kill her for it.”

“Jesus,” Kaito said. He stirred his Mojito and thought aloud, “Corporate world seems more cutthroat than the Yakuza sometimes.”

Yagami chuckled, setting his beer down. With the booze in his blood, Kaito was already starting to loosen up, the stress and horrors of the previous week melting away as he watched Yagami’s mouth move while he told the absurd story full of chases, wiretaps, and pretending to be a dogwalker to get information. 

Kaito shook his head as the bartender offered to make him a third Mojito--he was feeling pleasantly warm, a little buzzed, and he didn’t want to ruin the rest of the night in case Yagami begrudgingly agreed to show off his rarely seen vocal skills at karaoke.

“So how do you think it turned out?” Yagami asked. He was barely halfway through his second beer. 

Kaito hummed and rubbed the stubble along his jawline as he contemplated the solution given all the facts Yagami had told him so far. “Let’s see. I bet the husband was actually planning a surprise party or some shit. Something totally benign.”

“Wrong, but good guess,” Yagami said, his smile nearly blinding Kaito, making his heart pound against his ribcage. Was he always this good looking?

“Well, spill the beans then.”

Kaito resented the way his body warmed when Yagami leaned closer to him, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. His eyelashes looked longer than most women’s from here, lush as they framed his dark eyes. Kaito wanted to scowl at his internal thoughts. 

It had just been a long time since he had any action, so he was projecting his desires onto Yagami. Nothing more than that. There was no way he could be--

“Turns out, the lady wasn’t even married to the guy she had me tailing,” Yagami said, sitting back with a smug smile at the look of surprise on Kaito’s face.

“No way, you’ve gotta be shitting me,” Kaito said, scoffing and shaking his head. He was glad for the distraction from his tumultuous thoughts. 

“I’m not kidding,” Yagami said. “She had apparently stalked the guy for long enough that he got a restraining order against him and she wanted me to see what he was up to. She was paying me to stalk him in her place!”

“Christ,” Kaito said, finishing off the last of his drink. “That’s fucked up. Why didn’t she frame it as an infidelity case or something?”

“She thought I’d look up their marriage record if she asked that,” Yagami said, standing and stretching his long arms to the ceiling. Kaito’s eyes weren’t glued to the sliver of skin that showed as his shirt raised. He was staring at his drink like any straight man would. 

“What are you staring at?” Yagami asked. Kaito darted his eyes back to his drink. 

“Nothing, I’m just ready to get out of here,” Kaito said. 

Yagami raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue as they left the bar. It was no longer raining, but the puddles dotting the streets reflecting brilliant neon pinks and blues, making the dreamy city even dreamier. When it was right after rain like this, it was almost easy to see the beauty, the clean surface beneath the veneer of grime. But that didn’t last long. It was more like the first layer of scum was rinsed off, leaving somebody else to come along and make it dirtier.

They reached Yagami’s office quickly, the alcohol making time move quicker. They didn’t even have to fight anyone off this time, a rare occurrence for the two. 

Yagami grabbed them each a can of beer as Kaito settled onto the comfortable sofa, the one Yagami usually slept on. 

“Ugh, what’re you doing?” Kaito asked as Yagami plopped himself easily next to him, their thighs nearly touching.

“This is my bed, I can sit here if I want,” Yagami said, glancing at Kaito as he drained his beer.

“Whatever,” Kaito said, trying to keep his eyes away from the way his lips wrapped around the metallic rim of the can. 

He drained his own beer even quicker and burped loudly, laughing when Yagami shoved him. 

“Dude, you’ve let out even worse ones,” Kaito said, chuckling as Yagami tossed his empty can across the room into the wastebasket. 

“Ugh, not right next to you,” Yagami said, wrinkling his nose. 

Kaito grinned, feeling dopey in his intoxication. Though he’d never admit it, he enjoyed the closeness. Yagami radiated warmth, especially after a night of drinking, and he wished he could spend more time feeling the waves of heat he let off. 

Yagami smiled back at him, making his heart race again. He could pretend he didn’t notice so he didn’t have to fight it off, have to justify it, but Yagami interrupted his thoughts.

“Kaito-san, is everything okay?”

“I already told you that Hamura--”

“Not that,” Yagami said, shaking his head. “You haven’t been able to keep your eyes off of me all night.”

Kaito stiffened, his body turning icy. “I think you’re mistaken.”

“Look, man, if you’re--”

“I ain’t gay,” Kaito said angrily, scowling at Yagami, his face infuriatingly calm.

Yagami placed a soothing hand near his knee. As if trying to discredit his earlier claim, the simple touch radiated electricity, making Kaito want more of his touch.

“There’s nothing wrong with liking men, you know.”

“Of course there isn’t,” Kaito scoffed. “ _ I  _ just don’t like them.”

Yagami pursed his lips. Kaito absently wondered if he used chapstick to keep them so smooth.

“Alright,” Yagami said carefully, subtly moving away from Kaito. 

“Yakuza aren’t gay, anyway,” Kaito blurted out. “I mean, imagine what they’d say seeing me and you walking down the street together.”

Yagami stood and walked to the fridge, pulling out another beer and tossing it Kaito’s way without looking at him. “Wanna see if I can beat your high score in pinball?”

\---

Things got so busy with collections and paperwork and training newbies that the awkward conversation in Yagami’s low-lit office barely occupied a space in Kaito’s mind. But things turned sideways less than a week later.

Kicked out of the Yakuza, what he’d worked for for years. Forced to leave. All his years of loyalty meant nothing. But Kaito couldn’t feel  _ that _ bad. He left the family to protect Higashi, so he could be happy with an honorable way of leaving like that. 

He was drowning his sorrows at the same bar he and Yagami always frequented, but this time he was alone. It was Tuesday and the bartender was watering down his drinks, so even though he’d drank plenty (and had a staggering bill to pay for before he left), he was barely more than buzzed. Wasn’t even slurring his speech. 

The door chimed pleasantly, making him look up from his empty glass. It was Yagami.

“What’re you doing here?” He asked, his voice coming out more miserably than he’d imagined.

“I came to keep you company,” Yagami said, ordering his own drink. 

Kaito frowned when he saw the bartender give Yagami his drink without watering it down.

“Don’t need it,” Kaito said, crossing his arms across his chest. 

Yagami hummed noncommittally and drank slowly. Though Kaito had dozens of other things he needed to worry about right now, all he could focus on was Yagami’s lips wrapped around the sweating glass, droplets of condensation gathering at his neatly-maintained nails. 

“Why did you ask that?” Kaito blurted out.

“Ask what?” Yagami set his glass on the table, glancing up at Kaito’s face.

“You know…” Kaito was suddenly uncomfortable.

“I really don’t, man. Gonna have to give me a hint.”

“Why did you think I was gay?” 

Yagami gave him a small smile. “Thought you might be bi, like me.”

“You’re bi?” Kaito asked dumbly.

“Good thing you’re good looking,” Yagami said, scoffing. 

“I just…”

“It’s fine,” Yagami said. “You just looked at me… like… I dunno how to explain it.” 

Yagami seemed to shut down, like he was stopping himself from saying something else.

“No, tell me,” Kaito urged. “You were going to say something else.”

Yagami smiled sadly at him. “You were looking at me how I look at you.”

Kaito blinked once, twice, before leaning across the table and crashing their lips together. His heart was racing as their lips met. Yagami tasted like vanilla and mouthwash. It was intoxicating. 

Yagami kissed him back just as eagerly, reaching his arm across the table to cup Kaito’s elbow and pull him closer. 

It was almost a chaste kiss compared to the makeout sessions Kaito had participated in before, and he suddenly wondered if he’d ever really enjoyed those kisses. With Yagami it was  _ different _ . He stared at his mouth as they pulled away from each other. Kaito felt like he’d just run a marathon, his heart racing wildly as he blinked and took in what he’d just done. 

“Ta-bo…I didn’t… I didn’t think...” 

“Well, that’s a big surprise,” Yagami teased, his eyes seeming to sparkle in the dim lights of the bar. 

Yagami turned serious for a moment, making Kaito worry whether he’d done something wrong, gone too far. “Look, if you don’t like men, you don’t have to do this for me.”

“No, I…” Kaito trailed off, exhaling slowly as he stared at the ceiling, unable to keep Yagami’s understanding gaze. “I… I don’t think I’ve been accepting of who I am.”

Yagami nodded, waiting for him to continue.

“It’s just. A tough guy like me is supposed to like women, yeah?”

“Some of the strongest Tojo men have had gay relationships,” Yagami said. Kaito would have thought he was joking if not for his serious expression.

“But…”

“You’ve got some backward ideas about manhood and sexuality,” Yagami said gently.

Kaito blew out a long breath. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

“Do you think I’m less of a man for liking other men?” Yagami asked.

Kaito was almost offended at the question. “Of course not!”

“So why is it any different for you?”

Kaito had no answer for that. 

“What would… what would the family think?” Kaito asked, imagining the snickers he’d have to live through.

Yagami placed his hand over Kaito’s clenched fist reassuringly. “You don’t have to worry about that anymore. That’s all behind you now. Come work with me, at the agency.”

“With you?”

“We can be partners,” Yagami said, suddenly eager.

Kaito could feel his ears redden at the term, but he smiled. “Partners. I like the sound of that.” 

**Author's Note:**

> [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ravenselle1)


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